Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
- Sensors - Accelerometers
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
- Buildings
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Digital Twin
- Mesh Networks
Services
- Testing & Certification
About The Customer
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research. Founded in 1958, NASA employs over 18,000 staff. The organization is known for its space exploration missions and technological advancements in the field of aerospace. For its next generation of spacecraft, NASA is developing the Orion Crew Module, designed for long-duration missions into deep space, with a new design and new life-support, propulsion, thermal protection and avionics systems.
The Challenge
NASA's Orion Crew Module, designed for long-duration missions into deep space, required a clear understanding of the dynamic loads generated during water impact to maintain the spacecraft’s structural integrity and increase the safety of the crew. The water landing of a craft like the Orion Crew Module is a complex and changeable event, subject to the dynamics of the vehicle’s structure and sub-structures, such as its heat shield, as well as atmospheric and water conditions. Creating a computer simulation of this event is difficult and especially sensitive to such input variables as mesh density, boundary conditions and contact interfaces. To ensure that simulations reflect real-life conditions as accurately as possible, physical test data is needed to correlate to and anchor the finite element (FE) simulation models. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) sought to establish a clear understanding of the specific modeling methods needed to perform dynamic simulations of the Orion Crew Module water landings.
The Solution
NASA called on Altair’s ProductDesign group to develop this critical simulation model, working as part of the larger NESC assessment team. NASA built a full-scale boilerplate Crew Module to perform the required physical testing. This Crew Module was primarily built from steel with reinforcements so that it could be analytically treated as a rigid body. It was instrumented with several data-collecting devices, such as accelerometers, strain gauges, an inertial measurement unit and pressure sensors. The team placed photogrammetric targets on the outside surfaces to accurately measure the Crew Module trajectories, along with high-speed video cameras at strategic locations. Altair ProductDesign positioned accelerometers in the virtual model to replicate those from the physical test. Additionally, the model incorporated 25 feet of water depth and 13 feet of air height to match the drop test conditions. Once the simulation team members received the physical test data, they adjusted the model by varying input parameters, finding that acceleration data was the most reliable factor.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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